The Trustees of the PPWC – Employer Trusteed Health & Welfare Plan met on February 19th and would like to update you on a number of items relating to your group benefit coverage.
Pacific Blue Cross Bargained Changes
As part of the bargained changes that occurred last year, Pacific Blue Cross (PBC) re-adjudicated claims for the bargained changes in mid-February. Their systems should now reflect the updated benefit details and you should have received automatic additional payment for claims related to the improved negotiated benefits.
In cases where there is coordination of benefits and your claim was also submitted to another plan, such as a spouse’s plan (that is not also with PBC), you may have now been reimbursed the amount that was paid by the second payer as PBC was unable to directly reimburse your other provider. The Trustees would like to remind members that it is your responsibility to review your claim payments and reach out to the other provider if you received a payment for an amount that was invariably reimbursed by such secondary provider.
Tax T4A Issuance
If you were disabled in 2017 and received a disability benefit, this income is reported as part of your income tax. This is something to consider when you are looking at social security disability requirements for your application. Effective January 1, 2015 income tax is deducted from your disability payment by Desjardins. T4A tax receipts will be mailed to you directly from Desjardins by the end of February 2018. If you have not received your tax receipt by March 31, 2018, please contact Heather Pigeau at Desjardins (1-844-892-0889).
If you received disability benefits in 2017 and did not receive a summary of your portion of the premium contributions, we would suggest you contact your payroll department as it could be tax deductible.
Trustee meeting dates for 2018
June 19, 2018
October 15, 2018
